Hair drying apparatus



July 10, 1934. WERNER 1,966,084

HAIR DRYING APPARATUS Filed July 8, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORl/DWIG WERNER y 1934- L. WERNER 1,966,084

HAIR DRYING APPARATUS Filed July 8, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I jgigli g 5INVENTOR :H 29:; luaw/a MAWER n i I UN. Y

4) 4' T'TORNE Patented July 16, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for the rapid drying of the hair inbeauty and tonsorial parlours. Most of the hair drying machines now onthe market are of the individual, electrically heated type. The expenseof operating such dryers, however, in large shops becomes excessive,both on account of the heavy cost of the electric current used in theheating elements and also the cost of installing and maintaining inrepair a large number of machines. By my invention I have devised acompact heating unit, preferably heated by gas, and which may supply anumber of hoods or head-drying caps. By providing a flue creatingnatural up draft, my unit may be employed either with or without ablower. Preferably a plurality of fines are employed having differentdegrees of heat with a single blowermotor for both.

My invention also contemplates an improvement in hair drying caps orhoods, whereby the hot air is uniformly distributed about the head andnot discharged directly against the scalp in hot localized jets whichcause the subject unnecessary discomfort if not actually burning theskin or scorching the hair.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. l is a vertical section through a preferred form of heater unit.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

3 is a transverse sectional view through the shell of the unit taken online 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a modified form ofhair-drying machine.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 6 is a top view of the same with the top or cover removed.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of a modified form of hood or hair dryingdome which may be used with either form of the invention.

My heater unit preferably comprises one or more vertical flues 1 and 2formed of sheet metal. As shown, a rectangularly shaped box-like memberis divided into two flues by a separating wall 3 extending preferably toone side of the middle so that the flues are of different transversearea.

In each flue and preferably in the lower part thereof, I place a sourceof heat such as a gas burner 56. Since the bottoms of the flues are openat '7 and 8, a natural draft is created which will cause a flow of warmair up the fines and out of the air tubes even without a blower.

I prefer, however, to provide a power blower 9 to obtain larger flow ofair at temperatures which will not burn the subject. Blower 9 is shownas of the centrifugal type and is shown as located adjacent aperture '7so as to draw outside air into its center and discharge itcentrifugally. The major portion of the air Will hence be forced up flue1 past the intense flame 5. By closing the blower at the back, theremainder of the air will flow through aperture 8 as indicated by thearrows and through the driving motor 10 located at the base of the majorflue and thence up this flue past flame 6.

Since flue 1 has the more rapid air flow at high temperatures, I connectthereto a plurality of flexible pipes 11, 12 and 13 which may be used todirect the air stream in the hand of the operator. On the flexible pipes14, 15 and 16 connected to flue 2, on the other hand, I provide hair 7covering drying domes 17, 18 and 19 of improved design. Both suppliesmay obviously be directed on the same subject if desired to vary thetemperature to suit individual cases and the temperature of supplyvaried. Each dome preferably comprises an outer dome or cover 20 and aninner dome-shaped part 21, thereby providing a space between the domeswhich is in communication with the interior of tube 14. Adjacent itslower end, outer member 20 may be beaded or 30 spun inwardly to form areduced part 23 over which is slipped a sheet metal hood 24. Preferablyalso the lower end is turned inwardly so that the down-coming air isdeflected upwardly to swirl around the interior of dome 21 so that theair will be uniformly distributed and not come into contact with thescalp ununiformly or in localized jets. If desired an electric heatingelement 25 may be employed in addition to or instead of the gas burner6.

By having the housing 1 for blower 9 of square or rectangular crosssection and making it of ample proportions, it can accommodate differentsize blowers and motors, so that if the buyer finds he needs more hotair he can install a bigger fan and motor in his present dryer withoutgetting an entire new machine. The rectangular or square shaped housingfor the centrifugal blower 9 also has the advantage of giving a largersupply of air than the ordinary round or con- 109 volute shaped blowercasing, although at a lower pressure. This is due in part to the factthat the blower is much nearer the side walls of the casing along itshorizontal and vertical diameters than it is at the corners, thusproducing several more or less distinct currents of air and not buildingup a single current under high pressure. I have found that my blowerwith its three points of maximum centrifugal pressure produces on theorder of 50% more cubic feet of air than the 110 ordinary circular orconvolute constructions.

Figs. 4 to 6 show one of the many different forms my invention mayassume. According to this modification a horizontal pipe 30 extends fromeach side of main flue 2 and to each pipe are connected a plurality ofdrying domes 17, 18, 19', 20', etc. The domes in this instance are eachmounted on pipes 31 rotatably mounted on the pipe 30 so that when not inuse they may be swung upwardly as at 17, 19 and 20.

When it is desired to use one, however, it is swung downwardly as at18'. Preferably the opening 32 in the inside pipe 30 at each dome orhood only aligns with the corresponding opening in the sleeve 31 of pipe31 when the dome is swung into operative position, so that when thehoods are raised, no air is blown out the raised hoods but when the hoodis lowered the ports are opened to pass hot air through pipe 31 and thehood 18. By placing the hoods in intermediate positions the amount ofair passing therethrough may be regulated at will. Also the volume ofair emitted may be varied since more air will emerge when the apertures34 and the pipe 38' are in line.

A somewhat different form of hood is also shown (see Fig. 7). In thisinstance the inner dome 21 is perforated as at 33. It is also providedwith an extra large opening 34 and the dome 21' made rotatable as bythumb piece 35, so that aperture 34 may either be turned away from theentrance pipe 38 (Fig. 7) or in line with the same. The former positionis for ordinary drying operations, but the latter position is especiallyeffective for drying the heavy back hair characteristic of the presentstyles of hair bobbing, because it directs the main volume of airdirectly on this part of the hair. By this means also the main volume ofair emerging through opening 34 may be directed against any desiredportion of the hair.

In this case also, provision is made for preventing the parlor frombecoming overheated. A suction intake 39 is provided near each dome inits lower position. Such intake is shown as a slotted crescent shapedmember adapted to be placed around the back of the subjects neck. It maybe pivotally mounted on an intake pipe 36. When turned up, ports 37 areclosed as with the hoods, but when turneddown as at 39, the ports areopened. Air from pipe 36 is sucked into flue 1 (which in this case isclosed on the outside at the bottom) by blower 9 and thence up into flue2' and through the heater (not shown) as before. Less heat is,therefore, required and the overheating of the shop avoided.

From the foregoing, the operation and advantages of my invention will bereadily apparent. With my hair drying arrangement a number of heads maybe treated at once and at an expense for heat less than that employedfor drying one head with the ordinary electrically heated dryer at theprevalent rates for electricity and gas. If only a few customers arepresent, only one burner need be lighted and only one motor blower isemployed for all the drying units, thus greatly reducing the initialexpense of the apparatus.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have hereindescribed the principle and operation of my invention, together with theapparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof,but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is onlyillustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means.Also, while it is designed to use the various features and elements inthe combination and relations described, some of these may be alteredand others omitted without interfering with the more general resultsoutlined, and the invention extends to such use.

Having described my invention, what I- claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A hair drying machine for beauty parlors comprising a plurality ofadjacent flues ofdifferent sizes, a burner in each flue in the lowerpart thereof the smaller flue being the hotter, a motor driven blowerunder said burners and adapted to supply forced draft for each flue, themotor being in the larger, cooler flue and the blower in the smaller,hotter flue, there being an opening between the flues adjacent thebottom of the blower whereby the air from the upper portion of theblower passes directly up the hot flue and the air from the lower partpasses into the cooler flue and through the motor.

2. A hair drying machine for beauty parlors comprising two verticalflues side by side, a centrifugal fan in one flue and a motor fordriving the fan in the other flue, an opening from-the exterior into theflue containing the fan to admit air to the fan, and an opening betweenthe two flues adjacent the fan and the motor, the side of saidcentrifugal fan facing the said second mentioned opening being closed byan inperforate disc, so that said centrifugal fan delivers air to bothlines, means in each flue-for heating the air therein, and means forregulating the heating means so that cool air may be delivered from oneflue and hot air from the other flue.

LUDWIG WERNER.

